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Thick smoke rises from the Stepanakert bombing. PHOTO: Reuters
The bombing in Stepanakert is also cruel
YArmenian forces have fired rockets at Azerbaijan’s second-largest city, Ganja, Reuters reported, citing a statement in Baku.
Armenia has denied firing at Azerbaijan, but Nagorno-Karabakh leader Araik Harutyunyan has said his troops have destroyed an air base in Ganja.
Previously, new strikes shook Stepanakert, the capital of Nagorno-Karabakh. The sirens sounded at 9:30 a.m., shortly before several explosions went off, AFP journalists reported. The armed forces of Azerbaijan have gone on the offensive and fierce fighting continues in the region.
The escalation carries the risk of a full-scale war between Azerbaijan and Armenia, which could involve other countries: Baku has the support of Turkey and Yerevan has signed a defense pact with Russia, according to Reuters.
“The opening of fire on the territory of Azerbaijan from the territory of Armenia is a clear provocation and expands the zone of hostilities,” said Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov.
Ganja, with a population of 335,000, is located 100 km north of Stepanakert and 80 km from the Armenian city of Vardenis. Baku has previously accused Armenia of firing rockets into its territory from Vardenis, accusations denied by Yerevan.
According to Azerbaijan, one civilian was killed and four injured in the Ganja bombing. The victims of the clashes last week number in the hundreds, although exact figures are impossible to obtain.
Nagorno-Karabakh leader Harutyunyan has said he plans to go to the front. “This is our last battle, which we will definitely win,” he said.
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